Qatar- Work on to complete remaining sections of Al Khor Road

The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has delivered 80% of the Al Khor Road project and is now working to complete the rest.

The remaining works include the construction of 34km of an Olympic cycle track on one side of the carriageway and 33km of shared paths for pedestrians and cyclists on the other side, as well as the construction of 42 pedestrian and cycle underpasses, the authority said in a statement recently.
Ashghal had on Monday inaugurated the main carriageway and three vital interchanges of Al Khor Road, which would enable motorists to travel from Al Khor to Doha in around 20 minutes. Upgrade works on Al Khor Road started in the last quarter of 2016 and has 80% of the work has been carried out. A large section of road preparation works has been completed, including 11.5mn cubic m of filling and compacting works, 2.24mn tonnes of asphalting and 580,000 cubic m of concreting as well as 10.87mn cubic m of excavation works, according to Ashghal.
Infrastructure development work has also been completed within the scope of the project. This includes some 127km of rainwater and sewage water drainage lines to prevent water accumulation during the rainy season, work along 105km to extend the pipeline for the irrigation and treated water treatment network and 160km of electricity and telecommunications networks.
The authority stressed that it was able to deliver 80% of the project in "record time" despite the challenges faced during the construction.
The construction of Al Khor Road required the full closure of 9km of the road from Simaisma Interchange to Qatar University Street for a period of 18 months, with traffic being diverted to Al Shamal Road. "Ashghal was committed to finish all road works without any delay," the statement noted.
The authority also highlighted the future benefits to be delivered upon completion of the project, including providing links to several key areas and establishments in the country. These are as follows:
* Al Khor Road and Al Shamal Road: Al Khor Road connects to several main roads that are linked to the parallel Al Shamal Road, such as Al Khor, Simaisma and Al Majd roads as well as Al Turfa Street. These connections offer a variety of options for road users to travel between the northern and eastern areas in addition to the western and southern areas via Al Majd Road.
* Al Khor Expressway and Al Majd Road: The opening of Al Majd Road in February this year has significantly contributed to linking traffic coming from Al Khor Road and vice-versa, especially that Al Majd Road intersects with all other arterial roads in the country such as Al Shamal Road, Dukhan Road, Salwa Road and Mesaieed Road.
Therefore, residents of Doha and the eastern parts of the country are now able to use Doha Expressway to access all external areas by bypassing the centre of Doha. Residents of West Bay, Lusail and the surrounding areas can easily access Al Wakrah and Al Wukair and vice-versa using Al Majd Road and the new Al Khor Road.
* Residential areas: Al Khor Road, along with Al Khor, serves more than 20 residential areas such as Simaisma, Umm Qarn, Tinbak, Wadi Al Banat, Rawdat Al Hamama, Legtaifiya, Lusail, The Pearl-Qatar and Al Turfa.
The new road also facilitates access to Mesaieed and Dukhan through its intersection with Al Majd Road.

* Sports facilities: Al Khor Road is a major link to a number of 2022 FIFA World Cup stadiums. It provides direct connections to the Lusail and Al Bayt stadiums and also facilitates access to the Al Rayyan and Education City stadiums through its connection with Al Majd Road. Additionally, the new road facilitates access to the Simaisma and Al Khor youth centres, Al Khor Sports Club, Lusail Sports Complex and Doha Golf Club.
* Economic facilities: Al Khor Road will serve a number of economic and vital facilities in places such as Ras Laffan, Lusail City, The Pearl-Qatar and West Bay, covering business and vital facilities as well as hotels. Further, it will facilitate access to the Al Daayen Service Complex and Lusail Reserves.
* Leisure facilities: The newly opened road will provide enhanced traffic flow to a number of recreational and tourist destinations such as Katara, Simaisma beach, Al Farkiya beach and the Al Daayen Celebration Hall Complex.
* Educational institutions: Several educational institutions will benefit from the opening of Al Khor Road. The road facilitates access to some of the most prestigious educational institutions in the country, such as Qatar University, Community College of Qatar, Qatar Leadership Academy, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies and College of the North Atlantic-Qatar.